Six reasons believed to be fuelling the school fires

Students of St Patrick’s Boys High School and their parents stare in disbelief at the remains of a burnt dormitory. Students’ anxiety over mock exams, leadership wrangles and discontent among teachers over the school calendar, which has reduced their free time, are also believed to be behind the unrest. (PHOTO: PETER OCHIENG')

The crisis that is school unrest deepened yesterday as varied causes emerged, including claims of exam cheating.

Students’ anxiety over mock exams, leadership wrangles and discontent among teachers over the school calendar, which has reduced their free time, are also believed to be behind the unrest.

The development came as seven more schools had their dormitories burnt on Tuesday night, as the wave of arson hit over 100 schools.

1. Examination cheating cartels 
Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has repeatedly said that cartels unhappy with the strict measures put in place to curb examination fraud were instigating the violence.

But yesterday, secondary school heads dismissed the theory saying there was no tangible link between examination cartels and the fires.

“So far, there has been no evidence to tie exam scandals to fires unlike in the past when it was a tradition during mock examinations,” said John Awiti, the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairperson.

A civil society; Future of Kenya Foundation, has backed Dr Matiang’i saying they have concrete evidence linking examination cheating to the raging fires.

“We have concrete evidence of a well-organised cartel that is behind the unrest, and principals and school administrations are working with them. We shall supply all the evidence,” said Cyprian Nyamwamu, the foundation’s director.

He claimed that parents pay as high as Sh3,000 depending on the size of the school towards levies meant to buy examinations.

Matiang’i said the reforms at the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) had disconnected the link between cartels and those who buy the examinations.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary General Akelo Misori also challenged school boards to come clean on examination cheating rackets.

“I challenge them to tell us what they know about the examination cheating,” said Mr Misori.

2. Anxiety over exams

Students interviewed by The Standard cited anxiety over mock examinations administered about two weeks to the close of the second term as a possible link to the unrest.

“The recent spate of unrest in school is because of two things; first, the extension of the school term has been a cause of concern and second, the mock exams which many students don’t or would like to skip,” said Justus Maina, a Form Four student at Aguthi Secondary School.

Mr Awiti said for the last 10 years, the fear for examinations has been the cause of strikes in schools.

“Why is it that only dormitories are being burnt? We strongly feel if it is about accountability and examinations, they would burn classes and administration blocks,” said Awiti.

3. Management wrangles

Clan politics and questions of who should sit in the school boards, The Standard established, were cited in some arson cases in Kisii region.

In one of the schools, the local politician is said to have been against the school board chairperson who had expressed interest to contest the parliamentary seat.

It also emerged that the principal of the same school is related to another area politician, an issue that rubbed the local politician.

“The politician was against the board chairperson and the school principal both of whom come from a clan different from that of the politician,” said a source familiar with the Kisii politics.

4. Fears over school audit queries

Another possible reason being floated is ongoing reforms of school audits that sources say have caused panic among management of the institutions.

Upon assuming office, Matiang’i said some of the school auditors were colluding with school heads to doctor reports.

He also said some schools did not utilise billions meant for textbooks and cited serious accountability gaps.

He said he had collapsed the old audit system and announced establishment of the Directorate of School Audit (DSA), which will examine books of accounts to identify the expenditure leakages.

5. Matiang’i decisions

Some of the decisions taken by Matiang’i since he took over the ministry have also been cited as possible causes of the fires. The impromptu visits to schools by the CS have sent chilling shivers among heads.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale last week questioned the visits and attempted to connect them to the fires. Senate Education Committee chairperson, Daniel Karaba, also asked the CS to explain whether his visits had angered teachers.

The CS, however, maintained that it is his duty to visit all schools and vowed not to stop.

The planned change of books supply chain that would see public schools administrators lose the right to purchase books is said to have displeased may stakeholders.

6. School-based programmes for teachers

The Standard has established that the decision by Matiang’i to shorten the second term holiday from four weeks to two teachers angered many.

Teachers who spoke said some of them have academic research papers to submit and examinations to write when schools close.

Faulting the term extension, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion said teachers ought to have been consulted before the decision was made.

“We are asking the CS to shelve the issue of term dates and allow time for consultations before it is rolled out,” Mr Sossion said.

Mr Misori, however, dismissed the theory saying many teachers have enrolled for the programme and as such, many schools would be affected.